Behind the scenes of our first business banking TV commercial

Following our first ever TV commercial about joining the murmuration of Starling customers, we set to work on spreading the word to small business owners. And even though our business advert was made before the outbreak of the coronavirus, our message still stands: through all the storms, Starling is here to lend a hand, 24/7. Our business accounts can be set up in minutes. They offer instant payment alerts and digital tools that give you better visibility of your cash flow and spending. And all this with no monthly fees.

Our new TV ad follows the journey of an entrepreneur-mum-superwoman as she waves goodbye to her daughter and partner, buckles up and sets to work on getting her home-run business to take off, literally. Along with 104,000 micro-businesses and sole traders, she runs her business from a garden shed, which we see flying over the rooftops in South London and between the seagulls at Leigh-on-Sea.

When she hits stormy weather, Starling is there to support her and bring her up above the clouds. The final shot shows many handcrafted flying-machines, each representing a unique and courageous business owner. It includes a model of the airstream café business seen in our first commercial.

Aidan McClure, Chief Creative Officer of Wonderhood Studios, came up with the concept of the ad to communicate how Starling puts business owners in the driving seat and can provide a safety net when they need it. The commercial was directed by Elliot Dear through Blinkink, and Bountiful Cow acted as our media agency.

Our ad has graced the screens of millions of people all over the UK, including during The Great Celebrity Bake Off and the news programme The Last Leg. It’s also been supported through radio, podcasts and printed ads distributed across the UK.

To find out more about the making of our business ad, have a look at the video below. You’ll see the people who made the handcrafted models of sheds that were then animated and the orchestra recording a version of Robin Hood and The Prince of Thieves overture for the soundtrack to the advert. You’ll also hear from some of the people who made this vision a reality: everyone deserves better business banking.

“We wanted something that felt relatable, played by someone authentic and warm,” says Hollie Webb, Starling’s Campaign Marketing Manager. “In that moment where the shed comes out of the clouds and steadies itself, you can see the relief on her face - there are highs and lows. At Starling we understand what it’s like to start and run your own business. That’s why we can help.”